File box or case



No. 623,007. Patented Apr; II, I899. W. S. GRANGE.

FILE BOXUR CASE.

(Application filed Jan. 6, 1898.)

(No Model.)

| iemmm i II II] I l I, 111,-

Huusb UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE;

WALLACE SUMNER GRANGE, OF MALTA, ILLINOIS.

FILE BOX OR CASE.,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,007, dated April 11, 1899.

Application filed January 6, 1898. Serial No. 665,824. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALLACE SUMNER GRANGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Malta, in the county of De Kalb and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in File Boxes or Cases; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

My invention relates to a file case or box for holding papers or manuscript, and has for its object to provide a construction of such a box which will be practically dust-proof and also in which the cover or top will be made to serve to support the box in an inclined position for convenience in filing away or removing papers from the box.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter particularly described and then sought to be specifically defined by the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of the box or case in its closed position. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the same with the top or cover opened; and Fig. 3 is a perspective of the same, showing the top or cover in position to hold the box or case in an inclined position.

In the drawings the numeral'l designates the body of the box or case, which is provided with a back 2, preferably made of wood or other stiff material, and which may be covered with leather or other material, the body of the box or case preferably being made of some suitable stiff board. The front side and one end of the body portion 1 is cut away at its upper portion, as illustrated clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to form an inclined or tapering opening to the interior of the box or case, and

the edge of the box or case along such open:

ing is preferably made of less thickness than the other portion of the body, so as to enable the edges of the top or cover when closed to fit flush with the outside of the body or case.

To the rear of the back 2 of the body or case, and between it and the end 3 of the box next thereto at the upper edge of the box, there is formed a recess or channel 4, adapted to receive one end 5 of the top or cover 6 when the cover or top is closed. Thischannel or recess being formed next to the back 2 of the box or case, which is the portion exposed when the box or case is in place upon its shelf, and thus most exposed, serves to form a practically dust-proof joint or connection between the back and the body of the box or case. It also serves more effectively to retain the top or cover in its closed position and enables the .stiff back 2 to afford protection tothat end of the top or cover, and thus prolong the life of the box or case.

The top or cover 6 is hinged by a flexible joint of any suitably material or kind to the top edge of one side of the box or case, so as to permit the top or cover to be thrown back at a right angle, or practically so, to the side of the case when opened,as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. This causes one side of the box or case to rest against the adjacent side .of the top or cover when thrown open, as illustrated in Fig. 3, so as to constitute a support for the box or case, and thus sustain the same at an inclination, as indicated in that figure, thereby greatly facilitating the manipulation of the papers or manuscript within the box, so that the same can be adjusted in their proper place between the sheets'or division members 7, arranged within the case to receive the papers or manuscript.

In order to hold-the top or cover 6 in its rearmost position when open, and thus prevent it from slipping from under the box or case, which it would have a tendency to do unless means were provided to prevent the same, I provide a suitable elastic connection between the body of the box or case and the top or cover. In the drawings I have illustrated such connection as composed of an elastic band 8, which at one end is attached by suitable means to the body of the box or case and at the other end to the side of the top or cover, as illustrated clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings. By this means the elastic connection 8 will exert a tension upon the top or cover when thrown back into the position shown in Fig. 3, so as to draw or pull the same toward the box, and thus prevent the top or cover from slipping from under the box or case when in the position indicated. This elastic connection also serves to hold the top or cover securely in its closed position, such position being shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3-and the elastic connect-ion in its changed position beingindicated by dotted lines in the same figure of the drawings.

Under the construction described I form a durable box or case for filing away papers or manuscript and also practically exclude all dust from the contents of the box or case and afford the protection before described to the end of the top or cover next to the back 2 of the box or case. I also am enabled to'provide for the top or cover constituting a support for the box or case at an inclined position and guard against the case falling from that position when papers are being inserted or removed therefrom.

I haveillustrated and described what I consider to be the preferred details of construction and arrangemen t of the several parts; butit is obvious that changes can be made therein without departing from the essential features of the invention.

It will be observed that the groove or recess 4 is formed by having a portion of the stiff back 2 cut away, thus forming the recess between said back. and The end of the boxbody next thereto. This enables the end of the cover next to the recess to fi't in the recess and be protected by the stiff back at that end of the box and to fit over the edge of the box-body at that point, so as toeffectually exclude dust and dirt from the box, and withoutimpairing the strength of the back, which continues from the recess to the bottom of the box. It will also be observed that the other edges of the cover overlap the edges of the box-body at the end and at the front, so as to exclude dirt and dust. It will also be observed that the cover when thrown open has its broad back to bear against the side of the box, by which the box is inclined at the best angle, the cover being held in such position by the connecting means illustrated, without which the cover would slip and not properly support the box. The connecting means also serves to hold the cover in its closed position when shut.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is 1. A filing box or case com posed of the hollow body portion provided at one end with a stiff back and having a portion of the back cut away between it and the end of the body portion next thereto to form a recess orgroove to receive and protect the end of the cover fitting therein, and a hinged cover adapted when closed to have one end thereof fit in the recess formed as described and the other edges of the cover to overlap the edges of the body portion, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A filing box or case provided with a hinged top or cover adaptedwhen opened to lie beneath one side of the box to constitute a support for sustaining the box in an inclined position, and a fastening device connecting the cover and box so as to securely hold the cover beneath the box when opened and thus prevent the cover-support from being accidentally displaced from beneath the boxbody, and also .hold the cover in its closed position, substantially as and forthe purposes described.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

\VALLACE SUMNER GRANGE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM L. STEPHENS,

BUN B. SMILEY. 

